IWVWD approves well for supply improvement project

The Indian Wells Valley Water District Board of Directors voted 4-0 Monday, with one member absent, to allow the staff to proceed with developing and issuing bidding documents for the construction of a monitoring well near Well 34 for the Water Supply Improvement Project. Director Leroy Corlett was absent.In its approval,...

Board President Peter Brown said the district created a sphere of influence and felt the private wells would serve its needs.

“There was a data gap we needed to fill,” he said. “We’re talking about spending district money to drill a well specifically to monitor the quality of the water.”

Director Don Jo McKernan said the well would give the district the benchmarks needed to determine whether to make any changes to the existing well or drill another well.

Director Chuck Cordell said he talked to District General Manager Don Zdeba and said a private well owner was preparing to blow off a nearby 18-inch well.

“They’re more than happy to let us sample that well without us having to drill another well,” he said. “They have about 500 feet of good water. It has not been tested yet. It hasn’t been blown off yet, but they’re ready to do that as we speak. We may be able to get in on some of that to see what quality water we have out there.”